LUNGU ROW WILL MARR POLLS
…It’s inflicting endless pain on Zambians, says Katotobwe
By Mast Reporter
THE failure by the United Party for National Development (UPND) administration to resolve the impasse over the burial of former president Edgar Lungu is a bad omen which will loom over the August 13 elections,
Chanda Katotobwe has warned.
Katotobwe, 2026 presidential candidate for the opposition Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) party, said in an interview with The Mast yesterday from Eastern Province one year was too long to keep a body unburied.
Lungu died in South Africa on June 5, 2025 but has not been buried yet because of disagreements between his family and the government over the nature of his funeral and the place of burial.
“As Zambians go to the polls on 13th August 2026, instead of concentrating on the general elections and the challenges that our people have gone through in this five-year reign, we remain drawn in this prolonged grief which is not what the people of Zambia deserve,” Katotobwe said.
He noted that last Friday, June 5, 2026 marked one year since Lungu’s death yet his burial was nowhere near, describing the situation as painful to the family and the nation.
“Instead of simply celebrating his life and reflecting on his service to our nation, many Zambians remain trapped in grief because one painful reality remains: our former head of state has yet to be laid to rest,” Katotobwe said.
“The endless sad ripples of this loss continue to flow through our lives, and particularly through the lives of his family. I pray that the Almighty God continues to give us all, and especially the Lungu family, the strength, courage and comfort we need during this difficult time.”
Katotobwe said the pain of the unresolved burial of the former president should be brought to an end.
Zambians needed time to heal and rebuild.
They might not always have comfort or be able to solve their problems at once, but history had showed that courage was momentous and hope took its own positive dimension.
“My heart goes out to the former first lady, Mrs Esther Lungu, the children, grandchildren, relatives and friends who continue to carry this heavy burden. They deserve closure. They deserve peace. They deserve the opportunity to mourn, heal and move on with dignity,” Katotobwe said.
He said the nation should have empathy for the bereaved family.
“We must place humanity above politics, and compassion above confrontation. It is unfortunate that a matter that should have united us in mourning continues to inflict endless pain on the people of Zambia,” Katotobwe said.
He said at the centre of the suffering were real people; widow, children, grandchildren, relatives, friends and millions of Zambians whose feelings continued “being hurt by this unfortunate and tragic incident”.
Katotobwe said the dignity of the family deserved protection.
“And we continue standing with the family in solidarity in this sad 12 months. This has also prolonged the pain of the family, divided opinion, and denied the country the closure it desperately needs,” he said.
Katotobwe was member of Parliament for Luapula Constituency in Lunga District, Luapula Province from 2021 to 2016.
